


Arcana: Wheel of Fortune

by Oldine



Series: Birches Grow [22]
Category: Torchwood
Genre: Drama, F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi, Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-27
Updated: 2017-09-06
Packaged: 2018-12-07 14:27:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11625480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oldine/pseuds/Oldine
Summary: A series of short stories set between Sins of Bacchus Lust and Pride. There will be relationship stories and plot tying Lust to Pride. A conflict among ancients threatens the Torchwood Jack has built. Can they survive being pawns in a struggle that spans universes and through time?





	1. Jack and Ianto

**Friday, May 21, 2021**

 

After waking early, Ianto Jones reprogrammed the coffee pot. Thunder rumbled reminding him of dreams he’d had for days. He moved a potted primrose to the counter and closed the kitchen window. It smelled like rain. The new flowers and rose bushes needed it.

Russell appeared on the counter. “Your food is on the floor.”

Ianto absented petted the cat as he looked at the incoming storm over the backyard. The memory, dreams, and storm meant something. Before finding the willow tree and experiencing the premonition, he would have attributed the uneasiness to anxiety. He’d dismissed it previously, but knew from the tingling in his hand that is was something more.

“Morning.” Jack entered the kitchen.

“You could have stayed in bed.”

“So could you.” Jack wrapped his arms around Ianto’s waist.

“I was restless.”

Jack kissed his neck lightly. “More reason to stay in bed.”

Ianto ran his hands over Jack’s arms. “We’re getting a call.”

“The same feeling as the car bomb?”

“Yeah.” Ianto hesitated. “I’ve had the same dream for days.” He didn’t know how to explain it.

Jack kissed the back of Ianto’s head. “Tell me.”

“When I was researching Torchwood’s connection to the alien antibodies, I found the connection between a London medical clinic and Torchwood employees that had fake death certificates. I remembered meeting Lisa near the clinic in the rain.” Ianto wanted to believe it was stress and lingering PTSD symptoms. “I think there is something she didn’t tell me.” He shook his head slightly. “I don’t know why it matters now.”

“Are you having second thoughts?” Jack hugged him. “Our anniversary is next month.”

“No.” Ianto knew it wasn’t that. “I always wanted two psychotic pets and two kids.” The smile faded as quickly as it appeared.

“What are the dreams?”

“A memory of that night with differences. Lisa apologizes for keeping secrets and says I’m going to pay for something she did.” Ianto took a moment. “It’s as if something is using her and my left over guilt.”

“She wasn’t pregnant.”

Ianto nodded. “I know.” The idea bothered him so much he’d check the files, and scan readings, of Lisa’s remains. There was no indication she’d ever been pregnant. He felt guilty afterward for violating her privacy.

The uneasiness increased as the morning progressed. The call came as Ianto dressed Michael for the day. Yesterday, he discussed daycare with his sister. Rather than the dreams, the pain in his arm worried him. He’d noticed it lessoned any time he discussed childcare. That seemed counterintuitive. He’d learned over the last two years, anxiety manifested in strange ways. But he couldn’t help but wonder if he was missing something.

 

Uneasiness shifted to guilt as Ianto handed his son to Rhiannon. The pain disappeared entirely making him reconsider daycare. Telling himself he needed to help Jack didn’t help. Walking back to the car increased the guilt. Ianto climbed into the passenger seat resisting the impulse to go back inside.

“Everything all right?” Jack asked.

He sighed. “I didn’t want to leave Michael.”

Jack set a hand on Ianto’s leg. “He’s safe with your sister.”

“I know.” The guilt faded making Ianto wonder more.

“We’re meeting with a lawyer about an odd inheritance. His client’s aunt, Velvet Prichard, died around the same time as the miracle recovery associated with Beltane. I checked the details before we left.” Jack drove out of the car park. “Her condition suddenly worsened and she died the day before she would have been released.”

That didn’t sound good.

“The client found a box in her aunt’s attic. The lawyer wouldn’t explain over the phone. I got the impression he called early because the box makes him uncomfortable.”

“Anything on the deceased or her family?” Ianto wondered how it connected to the dreams.

“Nothing specific. Her name sounds familiar. She was in her nineties when she died.”

“Did you run the name through the hub computer?”

Jack turned a corner. “Yeah. Nothing. But we have nothing on Demeter.”

“There was a Torchwood agent killed during an investigation related to Rhymney River that led to a ban on men investigating those cases. Either that agent had a history of crimes against women or the explanation for the ban was inaccurate.” Ianto doubted the crimes-against-women theory the more he thought about it. “A computer glitch that didn’t flag files makes me wonder if someone edited the system or if the hub is from a universe with subtle differences. We don’t know enough about the changes Other Keara made.”

 

Jack Harkness knew Ianto wasn’t telling him something. He’d been increasingly anxious about Michael since the explosion. It was connected to the phantom pain from the healed arm. Jack originally thought the pain increased when Ianto was away from Michael, but that didn’t explain the guilt.

“Pembroke Parcel has been a lawyer for forty years.” Jack parked near the building entrance. “He made an itemized list of the box contents. He expects me to sign for the box and a nondisclosure agreement.”

“Parcel’s generating the evidence he wants to conceal?” Ianto smiled.

“Yeah. He doesn’t represent criminals.”

“Did he ask for immunity?” Ianto asked as they stepped out of the car.

Jack smiled. “He made it clear that any possible offenses were committed by the deceased. While trying to convince me and himself that no crime had been committed.”

“Any ideas?” Ianto followed Jack into the building.

“The last lawyer called about Voodoo dolls.”

“No.”

Jack held the door open. “She made them from stolen sex toys.”

Ianto eyed him as he entered the building.

“Check the files for Voodoo dolls.” It wasn’t the last inheritance case, but it was the most ridiculous in the last ten years. “We concluded she just liked sticking it to people.”

Ianto groaned. “That’s bad.”

But it improved your mood, Jack thought, pushing the elevator button. “It was a hard case.”

Parcel’s office was in the corner of the fourth floor and identified by a plaque on the door. Jack led into the main room. The walls, furniture and hard wood floor were in dark browns accented with hunter green. Paintings of hunting dogs added color. A large reception desk dominated the main room between the front door and two open doorways.

“Good morning.” The twenty-something receptionist smiled. “My grandfather will be right with you.”

A man in his mid to late sixties stepped into the main room carrying a folder. “Thank you for the impromptu appointment.”

“It’s not a problem,” Ianto said.

“The paperwork is a formality, but I need it for my records.”

Jack nodded. “Would your associate be able to show Ianto the box while we handle the papers?”

Parcel obviously hadn’t considered the request. “Yes.” He looked to his granddaughter. “It’s the cardboard box on the conference table.”

 

Ianto Jones followed the young woman into a small meeting room. Shelves of law books and thick binders lined the walls. Jack said something about his secretary and she smiled. “My grandfather is an incredible attorney, but can be oblivious.”

Ianto met her eyes.

“He called at a ridiculous time in the morning to pick up a box. You’re not Captain Harkness’ secretary.”

“Office manager.” Ianto smiled. “Are you a lawyer?”

She laughed. “Psychology student.”

Ianto removed a small hand-held device from his pocket. “I need to make sure it’s not dangerous.” She didn’t say anything as he scanned the box. It didn’t indicate a problem. “Why did your grandfather call Jack?”

The amusement faded. “It could be a souvenir box.”

Ianto carefully opened it. An ornate frame faced the side of the box. Several drawstring bags in various colors made of silky or velvet-like material rested on an assortment of items. He lifted a dark purple pouch. It contained an old lighter and a small piece of paper with feminine handwriting. A light green bag held an antique brooch. A pale blue velveteen one held an older locket. He hesitated over a bright red bag; it took him a moment to open it. He recognized the bracelet without reading the label, and checked the beads by the clasp looking for the flaw.

“Find something?” Jack asked approaching quietly.

Parcel called to his granddaughter and she stepped out of the room.

Ianto held out the bracelet. “Yeah. It’s handmade and came from an art festival in London.” He vaguely recalled the sunny weekend years ago. “The last bead is a replacement.” The artist offered a discount because of it.

“Who’d it belong to?”

“Lisa. I bought it for her.” Ianto handed the green bag to Jack. “Check the piece before looking at the label.”

Jack removed the brooch and stared at it. “Estelle.”

Ianto pointed to others. “Diane and Mary.”

“We need to get this back to the hub.”

Ianto reached for the frame. Blue light rippled over the black surface from his finger tips. “I don’t sense danger.”

 

Jack Harkness carried the box back to the car. Ianto’s reaction to the mirror concerned almost as much as the jewelry. There were no good reasons for the contents. How Velvet Prichard got the items was equally worrisome. Lisa had family that could have kept the bracelet. Estelle’s items had gone to charities. It would have taken effort, but it was possible. Mary’s things were packed up after her death and were storage. It wasn’t impossible. The question was how the item belonging to Diane was collected or even how the woman knew Diane existed. He had to consider the possibility of a hoax or extreme coincidence. But the worse case scenario made the most sense. The items were real.

Ianto waited until they returned to the car. “Why would anyone want those items?” Ianto took a moment. “Say the items are suppose to effect us. Three of the four of us aren’t from this universe. Tosh and Owen for sure.”

Jack set a hand on Ianto’s knee. “We’ll figure it out.”

Ianto set a hand on Jack’s.

The car ride past in silence. Jack knew there was something Ianto wasn’t telling him. The problem was getting him to talk about it. It either involved Michael or Lisa.

Jack parked in the garage next to Torchwood. “What do you remember about the bracelet?”

“I barely remember it.” Ianto shook his head.

“You identified it.”

“I don’t know.”

 

Ianto Jones entered the hub thinking about the mirror. Black mirrors were associated with visions or prophecy. The willow tree that seemed to cause him premonitions was said to enhance psychic abilities. It could explain why he reacted to the mirror.

“It could be about seeing the past,” Ianto said as the large door closed behind them.

Jack stopped walking. “What?”

Ianto moved up and opened the box. “It could require a personal connection.” He carefully removed the mirror.

“Be careful.”

“Yeah.” The blue light flared a moment later.

He heard Jack calling his name as he lost consciousness.

 

_Ianto found himself standing beyond a ritual circle. Drunk men and women wore ancient Roman-inspired clothing and wreaths of made of ivy on their heads. They danced between tall poles wrapped in vines and tipped with pine cones and the fire. Music rose from somewhere and the dancing increased. Cymbals clashed. The volume rose. The frenzied dance increased in madness until one by one the dancers collapsed._

_A voices echoes around him. “The Maenad seek. Our patron is hurt. Hiding.”_

_A woman stepped from thin air as if she walked through parting curtains. Like the revelers, she wore the same clothes. Both her her head wreath and her staff, which she used as a walking stick, had grape vines wound around them. She stopped in front of Ianto._

_“The gatekeeper.” She eyed him. “You will help us.”_

_“What do you want?”_

_“For you to free Bacchus.”_

_“How?”_

_She handed him the staff._

_The word faded around him until Ianto was standing in open space, the universe moving around him._

_“Open the gate.” The voice echoed again._

 

Jack Harkness crouched next to Ianto where he fell and checked his pulse. It was thankfully strong. He showed no obvious injuries.

Ianto’s eyes fluttered and opened them.

“Hey.”

“I think we’re caught in a conflict among ancients and people connected to them.” Ianto groaned trying to sit up. “The ancients can only affect the universe through people.”

They already knew that. “What happened?”

“Another gate request.” Ianto touched Jack’s face lightly. “Whatever happened to Bacchus is connected to you.”


	2. Rex and Davy

** Rex and Davy **

** Friday, May 21, 2021 **

 

Rex Matheson checked his watch. He had more than enough time to meet with Lorren and then get back to his apartment to change. It was ridiculous to be nervous about a date, but there was something about Davinia Delagarza. She made him feel alive. It had been too long. 

The underground maintenance door creaked from lack of use. Lorren peaked around the door, squinting in the dim light. He wore the work clothes Rex brought during a previous meeting. He walked over to Lorren and handed him a bag of food. As paid contacts went, the lizard man had cheap taste and few requests. 

“The people in the sewers have new equipment. They’re trying to get past your robots and security system.”

Rex already knew that.

Lorren handed over a specially modified camera he’d been provided. “They figured out how to get past some of it.” He took a moment. “I found another site that isn’t secure. A different person is trying to access that vault.”

Rex didn’t like the sound of that. “The same symbols?”

Lorren shook his head. “No.”

“Can you safely avoid them?”

“Yeah.” 

“Be careful.”

Rex left the unused subway maintenance section and returned to the station. As he headed for the turn-styles, he felt watched. It wasn’t the first time he’d felt eyes on him recently. He suspected he was being followed. A review of CCTV cameras near his apartment hadn’t shown anything. But his experiences in the CIA long before he met Jack and Gwen taught him not to ignore his instincts. He headed up the stairs to the surface wondering why anyone would follow him. With the exception of Lorren, he wasn’t having secret meetings. 

His cell phone beeped as he walked up the last of the steps. He had two missed calls from Davy and a text message telling him to call her. That didn’t sound good. He put his back to a wall and called her back.

Davy sounded annoyed. “Where have you been?”

“Underground meeting a contact that lives in the sewers.” Rex smiled.

“Right.” She exhaled sharply. “Some arse slashed my tires.”

Rex didn’t like the sound of that. “What did the police say?” 

Davy hesitated. “They think I have a stalker.”

Patience, he told himself. She had no reason to tell him. “Why?”

“I’ve had a lot of hang up calls.” She doesn’t want to talk about it.

“Have they done a threat assessment?”

“I did.” She took a moment. “I dated a guy briefly last year. I stopped seeing him after it got weird.” She hesitated. “Could you imagine someone thinking I wanted to get married and be a stay-at-home mum?”

That type of mistake required psychological issues. “What’s the guy’s name?”

Davy made an unhappy sound.

“I will call the Metropolitan Police for details.”

“I’ll text it.” She paused. “I won’t be able to meet you at the restaurant tonight. I had my car towed to have it checked out. Just to be safe.”

“I can drive.”

“Uh.”

“Your parents are still mad about the plans for robots to build Torchwood London?”

“Yeah.”

“How are you getting home?”

Davy chuckled. “We’re too old for dodging my parents.”

“Since we’re acting like teenagers, we could find a place to park after dinner.” Rex smiled. 

“You wish.” She took a moment. “I will figure out how to meet you at the restaurant.”

 

Rex wondered as he neared the temporary office if the person following him had something to do with what happened to Davy’s car. He should call the police anyway. Except Davy would find out. She didn’t want anyone taking care of her.

Uploading the photographs and sending them to Nova Scotia took little time. Until London was built there was little he could do locally. Depending on the situation in the sewer, they might need to adjust their timetable. The computer chimed, indicating they were received.

Rex then focused on doing a background check on the probable stalker. Paxton Ashburn appeared to be an alias and possibly a stolen identity. It made Rex wonder. He needed CCTV footage to run facial recognition. It was not a conversation he looked forward to having with Davy. As a precaution, Rex sent a message to Jack to run Ashton through the Torchwood computers.

 

An alarm sounded on Rex’s cell phone as he checked his appearance in the mirror. The details made him groan. With the luck he was having lately, it was not a quick situation. He grabbed a tablet computer over the nightstand in his bedroom. 

“Shit.” It wasn’t an attack on the underground security. The new vault Lorren found was giving off seismic readings. He was going to have to go into the old tunnel system and check it. Whatever was causing the problem wasn’t in the scans Luc’s team did.

His phone rang as he was trying to decide how urgent it was. The screen showed Davy calling.

“Hey.”

“I think our date is canceled.” She sounded exasperated. “I’ve received three calls in the last few minutes asking how to contact you. One section of underground has been shutdown for emergency maintenance. Something broke a track.”

“Send me the details.”

“I already did.” She paused. “Is this connected to early. You said you were undergound.”

“Not directly.”

“Where are we meeting?”

“What?”

“If you’re checking the problem, you need maps and building schematics.” She gave it a moment. “And someone that knows who to read them.”

Rex didn’t want her involved. “I can coordinate with another office.”

“You’re going to have Canada explain the tunnels. Have they ever been to London?”

“No.”

Davy chuckles. 

 

Rex used a hand-held scanner on the area. The readings were inconsistent. Davy joined him near a subway access point while he was trying to decide if the results were fake. Either way, he didn’t know what he was dealing with. The Knights Templar symbols and vaults were ridiculous. No amount of research explained any of it.

“My father suggested we need an exterminator.”

Rex looked at Davy.

“Large rats.”

He smiled. “Very large. They set off seismic sensors.”

Davy shook her head. “What’s happening? There is nothing in this area that could cause this.” 

“I don’t know.”

“Torchwood 101. How are we checking?”

“You’re not going down there.”

Davy groaned.

Rex wasn’t sure how much to say. “It isn’t rats.”

“I know about the Templar vaults.”

“How?”

“After the maintenance worker rescue, I’ve gotten more than one call about the crazy American.”

“Why aren’t they calling the office?”

Davy smiled. “Do you have any idea what Captain Harkness’ reputation is?”

“The truth is worse.”

 

It took several minutes to convince Davy it was best for her to stay where she was. Rex couldn’t help but remember the only time he recruited a civilian to assist with a Torchwood situation. That horrific experience would stay him no matter how long he lived.

He used the same device he used when he met Lorren and opened the old, creaky metal door. The stairs were filthy and the air was stale. He switched on a large flashlight; it illuminated some of the darkness. He headed underground, dust swirling around him.

At the bottom of the stairs, he checked the readings again. The results were so insane, he had to consider the possibility they were real. There was something actively changing the tunnel system. It explained the inaccurate maps and the vaults, but not why. How was a question for Jack.

Rex kept walking. He wanted to see it for himself.

A few minutes later, he regretted the decision. The last door he opened led to a void. His left arm was almost completely frozen before he got it closed. While the damage regenerated, he scanned again. It was like a quantum mechanics joke. There was simultaneously something and nothing beyond the door.

When the metal grinding sound started, Rex backed up. Both the metal and cement vibrated. A thin mist slipped through the seemingly solid door and took form. He stared until the shape started looking familiar. 

Years had past since he’s seen Vera Juarez. She looked the same. “Rex.”

He stumbled backward, fumbling his portal device out of his pocket. 

“Did you forget me?”

As the mist shifted to a fire like color, he portaled out.

 

When Davy found him a few minutes later, he had his back to an alley wall. He’d given in and sat when he legs almost gave out. The nightmarish illusion was nothing compared the memories that filled his mind. First Vera and than Ester. Having Jack’s blood ripped from his body by the Blessing was nothing compared to losing them.

Davy crouched next to him. “What happened?”

Rex shook his head. He didn’t know. After he returned, and could think, he scanned and everything looked normal. It made him wonder if what he’d seen had happened. A quick check of the device showed previous scans recorded. It happened. Why and how, he had no idea. 

“You hurt your arm.” Davy carefully checked his injuries before he realized he was regenerating. “You’re healing,” she added hesitantly.

“I need to get to the office.”

Davy helped him up and insisted he lean on her as they walked toward his car. “I saw something.” She took a moment. “Before I saw you, the door you used glowed like a fire was behind it.” She hesitated. “I could swear a woman walked through the door and disappeared.”


	3. Owen and Tosh

**Saturday, May 22, 2021**

Owen Harper stands in Jack’s office. Jack and his secrets were nothing new. If Jack was willing to share, the situation was bad. The cardboard box on the desk was a curiosity. Owen would have been interested, but he’d promised Tosh to help move her into the building. They’d both had enough of living in the hub.

“Pull up a chair.”

Although annoyed, Owen grabbed a chair. He sat across from Jack waiting impatiently.

“We have a problem.” Jack removed five drawstring pouches: purple, green, blue, red and yellow. Jack opened the purple back and carefully removed an old lighter. He held it out in his upturned palm for Owen to see. “Do you recognize it?

“No.”

Jack replaced it in the bag. “The Owen from this universe dated a woman named Diane. Over a short time, he fell in love with her. When she left, he spiraled into a self-destructive depression.”

“That was hers?” Owen asked.

“Probably.” Jack set the pouch down. “Each one represents a woman: Estelle, Mary, Lisa, Vera, and Diane.”

“Estelle, Lisa, and Mary?” Owen recognizes the names. “Items from team members dead girlfriends?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?” Owen wasn’t sure he wanted the answer.

“I don’t know.”

Owen realizes something. “Are you telling Tosh? She didn’t meet Mary in her universe.”

“No.” Jack gave it a moment. “I’m working on how the items were collected. Estelle’s belongings went through an estate auction. Lisa’s bracelet could have been taken before or after she died. The same with Vera.”

“Why is Diane strange?”

“She was a time traveler with no connection to the time she arrived in and flew her plane back into the temporal rift,” Jack said. “If it was you, would you keep the lighter?”

Owen stared at the pouch trying to process what Jack just told him.

“Did you keep anything of Katie’s?”

“Yeah.”

 

Toshiko Sato checked the small room she’d lived in for too long. After concluding the device was no longer in her head, Jack removed the security system that imprisoned her. While she wasn’t completely free of security concerns, she was moving out.

It caused a tangle of emotions. She’d wanted freedom a long time. Not understanding the universe made her wonder if she could handle it. Fear and uncertainty were nothing new. She’d lived with them a long time, she reminded herself. For the first time in forever, she had options and opportunities.

The door chimed. Tosh smiled. Owen was being polite. One of many new experiences since arriving. The Owen she knew had the manners of a bull in a china shop. She walked over and tapped the door control. It opened.

“Are you ready to go?” Owen sounded off.

She wondered if she had taken to long. “Yeah. All packed.” She eyed the canvas suitcase Gwen brought. It held everything she owned. While she appreciated Gwen’s kindness, Tosh wanted to shop. Without a frame of reference, Gwen chose items and clothing for a different woman. It told Tosh a lot about the version of her she was replacing.

Owen walked over and grabbed her suitcase. Chivalry or impatience, Tosh wondered. Both were possible. The differences between herself and the other version reminded her that Owen was similarly different and the same as the man she lost.

She followed Owen out of the room and down the hall. “Are we going to the building or shopping first?”

“Shopping. Ianto recommended we start with Saint David’s Mall. If you’re up for a crowd.”

Consideration? He was walking on egg shells, she thought. That wouldn’t last. “Lunch first?”

“Pizza?”

Tosh smiled. Some things were the same.

 

Owen Harper tucked the suitcase into the trunk wondering if he’d said the wrong thing. Tosh followed behind him without a word. He closed the trunk and noticed she’d climbed in the car. The Tosh he remembered could be socially awkward, but she talked.

He claimed the driver’s seat.

“Nice car.” Tosh already had her seat belt fastened.

“Other Keara chose it.” Owen popped the keys in the ignition.

“You don’t like it?”

Owen sat back. “It’s for a wanker compensating for a lack of personality.”

Tosh smiled.

“What?”

“The Owen from this universe had a nearly identical car.” Tosh beamed. “Gwen mentioned it.”

“Great.”

Owen backed out of the parking space. The car was slightly different than ones where he came from. It had been an awkward afternoon with Ianto learning how to drive it.

The silence made Owen wonder more. Tosh looked out the window the entire drive. He was either over thinking it or there was a reason she didn’t say anything. He parked, wondering if he should ask.

“It’s big.”

“For Cardiff.”

“I have no idea where to start.”

“Ianto made a list.”

Tosh nodded. “Does he really run the hub and the block of flats?

“Yeah. While caring for a kid, two pets, and keeping Jack out of trouble.”

Tosh laughs. “It’s hard to picture Jack settled.”

Owen pauses, reaching for the door handle. “There is a hamper in the small apartment they call the alchemy lab. Ianto keeps extra clothes for them there. It has a reminder to check pockets for Weevil spray.”

Tosh laughs more.

It was good to hear, Owen thought, climbing out of the car.

 

Toshiko Sato marveled at the mall. She remembered shopping before the compliance devices, but it felt like a different lifetime. Men, women, children wandered around, taking their freedom for granted. Tosh would never forget hers again.

“Where do I start?”

“Clothes?”

Tosh nodded.

Owen quickly finds info about the mall, and its stores, on his mobile. “That way.”

Tosh took Owen’s elbow.

A few minutes later, they stop in front of the shop. The display window had gothic and Victorian inspired outfits for teenagers.

“No.” Tosh laughs.

Owen checks his phone. “Bad online description.”

They turned to keep walking.

“Owen Harper.”

They turned to face a man neither of them recognizes.

“You don’t remember me.”

Tosh smiled. “We’ve had a long couple months.” She gave it a moment. “How do you know Owen?”

“Foundation training. We did rounds together.”

Tosh couldn’t picture Owen treating patients. “It must have been stressful.”

“Yeah.”

“Toshiko Sato.” She held out her hand.

“Dr. Barric Crosthwaite.” He looks like he’s nervous and trying to hide it.

“We should talk.” Crosthwaite hands over a business card.

Tosh took the card from Owen as they watched him walk away. “He wants to ask you something,” She said quietly.

 

Owen Harper carried bags and watched Tosh adapt to her surroundings and easily blend. It was a survival skill the woman he remembered didn’t have. It was something he had to remember. She was used to being what other people wanted.

“Restaurant or takeaway?”

“Takeaway.” Tosh sounded tired.

They returned to his car. Owen tucked the bags into the growing pile in the backseat. “What did you think of the mall?”

“It’s great.”

Owen knew she was lying and could only guess why she felt it was necessary.


	4. Four

**Saturday, May 22, 2021**

General Trefor Williams called a meeting in the break room. He sat at the head of the small table. Liam sat to his right. Then Jeannette. Malcolm and Molly sat at the opposite end of the table. Nessa perched on the table to his left. Xiu claimed a corner.

“The new liaison Azrael arranged is arriving today.”

“The first priority needs to be Rogan,” Nessa said.

The general doesn’t like that idea. Liam sets a hand over the general’s.

“What about fixing the computer?” Xiu asks.

Jeannette sets her head down and laughs.

“I do not need to be fixed, Ms. Jiang,” Four replied.

Xiu is startled.

The general smiles.

Molly looks at the general. “Mr. Matheson sent us information about registering with London.” She isn’t happy. “It sounded too much like the registration act from X-Men.”

Nessa turned and looked at her brother and Molly. “I’ll talk to him.”

“Speaking of Mutant Registration,” Jeannette said, “What is my status after the zoo? With Charlaine back in France, I’d like to get out of here.”

“The new liaison needs to deal with Rogan first.” Nessa sounded apologetic.

“The self-righteous arse is a divorced Catholic with an alcohol problem.” Jeannette groaned with the melodrama of a teenager. “Check his kids’ social media. They think he’s a waste of space.” She obviously agreed.

Four chimed with a doorbell sound. “Ms. Bia is here.”

 

Twenty-six-year-old Rachael Bia entered the facility pulling a canvas suitcase on wheels. She eyed her new location with curiosity. After Atmore not much surprised her anymore.

Xiu walked up and gave her a hug.

“Call Idrissa. He worries.” Rachael speaks softly, her accent from the southwestern United States.

Xiu smiled, hanging her ear buds on her cat ear headband. “I told him I have a boyfriend.”

Rachael laughed. “A musician?”

“Yeah.” Xiu’s eyes light up with amusement. “I told Mr. Williams the same thing. He didn’t believe me.”

“Not surprising. Rhys has a daughter.”

Rachael looked at General Williams as he approached. Idrissa’s concerns about the general were hilarious. She had no idea what the problem was between Idrissa and Captain Harkness was but it gave Idrissa a negative opinion of the general.

“What?” the general asked.

“Idrissa is under the impression you started a harem.”

The general groaned.

Xiu chuckled. “Liam wouldn’t agree to that.”

“From what I read, a similar misunderstanding caused a problem with a national police officer.”

“It’s not a misunderstanding,” the general said. “He was a friend.”

 

Curious about the newcomer, Nessa Dove stepped into the open doorway of the office Trefor set-up for her. She was pretty but had an edge. From what little Nessa knew of Atmore, the transition must have been difficult. Traveling to yet another foreign country had to be an experience.

Rachael looked up. “The ring leader of this circus?”

Nessa smiled, entering the room. “The part I’m related to.”

“One of the Refuge psychologists said I was walking into an alpha female situation.” Rachael smiled.

“For an organization of psychics, they’re hopeless.”

“I get the impression the more powerful psychics don’t participate in decisions.” Rachael gave it a moment. “Keara told me I’ll find something I need in Dublin.”

“Did she say what?”

“No. She implied it would take me home.” Rachael finds that dubious. “My nieces and nephews have grandchildren. My home is lost in time.”

Nessa knew from meeting Keara, and from hearing about the other two, that nothing involving her was ever simple. “You could make a new home. The Irish are good people.”

“Even Rogan Spaulding?”

Nessa didn’t know where, to begin with Rogan. “He and Trefor were friends. I wondered if maybe Rogan was jealous of me. Something about his attitude was off.” She paused. “He didn’t approve our relationship. I’m not sure if he knows about Liam or not.”

Rachael hesitated. “Is that what Idrissa meant by a harem?”

“No. It’s complicated poly relationship.”

 

General Trefor Williams is in his office sitting at his desk when Liam enters. He taps the door control to close it behind him. The general looks up as Liam crosses the room.

“What’s wrong?”

Liam leans on the desk farther near the corner. “Do I have to worry?”

“About?”

Liam keeps his eyes on the floor. “The beautiful woman that just moved in.”

The general reached for Liam’s knee. “No.”

“How do you shut off the jealousy?”

The general didn’t know how to answer.

Liam shakes his head. “I tell myself you’ve changed for me.” He’s not happy with himself. “It never seems to be enough.” He set a hand on the general’s.

“This isn’t about Rachael.”

“No.”

“Last night?”

Liam nodded.

The general squeezed his knee. “There isn’t anything I can say that doesn’t sound like an excuse.”

“No. Who you are isn’t an excuse.” Liam exhales sharply. “How can I love you and be unable to accept you?”

 

Jeannette laid on her stomach in bed with a headset connected to a Skype video chat. The unlikely friends she made at the zoo led to a new social group. She never thought she’d be hanging out with a theater group. One more thing that reminded her the life she had in Cardiff was gone.

Carrick laughed, taking over the screen. “Can you make it to Friday’s show?”

She smiled. “I don’t know.”

He overacted surprise. “You must.”

“I’ll know closer to Friday.” Jeannette reminded herself what happened the last time she snuck out.

Donal nudged Carrick over. “I’ve got more lines.” Donal chuckled. “If you’re going to be an actor groupie.”

“Padraig's cuter.”

Donal overacted horrified.

Jeannette laughs.

 

Malcolm Dove stood with his back turned as Molly dressed. “Rex Matheson is an uptight bureaucrat.”

“The same with Senator Kelly.” Molly tugs on a pair of snug jeans.

“We won’t have a problem.”

“I overheard General Williams and Nessa talking. He doesn’t trust Matheson.”

“Trust me,” Malcolm said. “I can teleport.”

“If he comes after me, he will regret it.”

Malcolm reminds himself to be patient. “He regenerates.”

“He’ll really regret it.” She buttons her jeans.

“Mol…”

“I’m realistic. I will torch the stick up his arse.”

Malcolm shakes his head. “I didn’t need that image.”

 

General Trefor Williams called for another meeting. He and Rachael sat across from each other in the break room. Nessa and Liam sat on either side of the general. Xiu reluctantly claimed a chair between Rachael and Nessa. Jeannette leans on Liam.

“Any luck?” The general’s opinion of Rogan is pretty obvious.

“Yes and no. Spaulding will work with me. He won’t apologize.”

Nessa sets a hand on the general’s. “We’re not doing any more favors for him.”

Liam twined his fingers with the general’s free hand.

Rachael took a moment. “That won’t resolve the problems with the Irish government.”

Jeannette looks at Rachael. “The next time Ireland needs Torchwood help that will resolve it.”

Liam hugged Jeannette.

“Rogan wasn’t a self-righteous prick when he stayed here with us,” Jeannette said. “He knew better than to say it to Trefor’s face.”

Liam whispered something in Jeannette’s ear.

The general hoped she wasn’t raising the temperature around her.

Rachael said carefully, “We need to avoid angering the locals.”


	5. Jack and Ianto

**Monday, May 24, 2021**

As Ianto Jones’ head cleared, it didn’t take much to realize he had a severe nightmare. He’d had them in lessoning frequency since he woke up in the hub nearly two years early. From Jack’s vice-grip bear hug from behind, it had been bad. The last one that serious happened more than a year ago.

“I’m good.”

Jack released him tentatively.

“What happened?”

“You woke up swinging.” Jack moved back giving Ianto room to lay on his back.

Ianto looked up, meeting Jack’s eyes. “Did I hurt you?”

“No.” Jack moved back, allowing Ianto to lay back. “Do you remember the dream?”

“No.”

Jack took Ianto’s hand. “Who are the Maenad? You were yelling at them.”

Ianto had to think. “Female followers of Dionysus. Bacchus.” His heart raced just thinking about them.

“They scare you?”

Ianto closes his eyes.

“Ianto.”

“They want Bacchus back.”

“And?”

Ianto hesitates. “The black mirror caused visions. Each time the Maenad demand I choose. If I don’t open the gate, and give them Bacchus, they will destroy the world. Or the universe.” He opens his eyes. “The ancients are part of the multiverse.” He met Jack’s eyes. “They want their god back.”

“Do they know where Bacchus is?”

“No.” Ianto reached for Jack. “The Maened are convinced if you die they will get him back.”

“How?”

“I don’t know.”

 

Hours later, after dressing himself, Ianto dressed Michael for the day. His arm ached where he’d broken it. Jack walked up to them in the nursery and hugged Ianto.

“Feeling better?”

“Yeah.” An afterimage of the nightmare Ianto didn’t remember hovered in the back of his mind.

“Rex had a situation in London on Friday after we went to the attorney’s for the box.”

Ianto finished Michael’s snaps and picked him up. “How bad?”

“He saw something that looked like Vera and a void.” Jack gave it a moment. “You had a vision of the Bacchus cult and space.”

Ianto took time to think. “The items from Friday. All five individuals represent a strong, painful emotion. Guilt, regret and/or anger.” He pauses. “That could mean something.”

“All women. All deceased.”

Ianto turned to look at Jack. “Why Diane and not Katie?”

“Owen wasn’t part of Torchwood yet,” Jack offered.

“Or it’s something we have to live with. There was nothing Owen could have done for Katie.” Ianto wondered. “We failed to save them.”

 

Jack Harkness sat at the kitchen table with two laptops, a tablet and Michael’s bassinet. Russell lounged on the table behind the computers. Michael shifted, fussing quietly and Jack absently reached into the bassinet without thinking. The baby settled.

Ianto stood at the stove making breakfast in the kitchen with Caden snoozing on the floor near his feet. The coffee pot chime and he reached for mugs. He stepped over the puppy. Then poured coffee in the mugs Anwen bought them for Christmas. “Makes coffee.” “Drinks coffee.”

“Find anything?” Ianto set one mug of coffee on the table next to Jack.

“It’s what I’m not finding,” Jack said. “Velvet Prichard has been erased since Friday.”

Ianto walked back to the stove. “Hacker or Torchwood software?”

“I don’t know.”

 

When breakfast was ready, Jack pushed back the computers getting an unhappy meow from Russel. The cat disappeared and reappeared on the sofa. Ianto sets two plates on the table before sitting. Jack set a hand on Ianto’s knee as Caden curled up between their feet.

“What is it?”

“I had another image in my head. A walking stick with a grapevine wrapped around it.” Ianto was uneasy.

“Has Lewella said anything?”

“No.” Ianto took a moment. “From what Nessa and Lacene said about ancients, Lewella lied.”

Jack lightly squeezed Ianto’s knee.

“Her interest in me wasn’t because I came back from the dead.” He paused. “Other Keara brought me, the hub, and Owen from other universes. We have no idea how.”

“Or how the Time Agency from Simon’s universe moved between universes.”

“What if this is a chess game? Ancients can’t directly affect events. They manipulate those with a connection to them to alter reality.”

“Why are they focused on Great Britain?”

Ianto doubts that. “The general would make a bad pawn. He could see the game. Luc has had strange dreams and more anger issues. Hana found the ring.” Ianto reached for Michael. “Atmore hasn’t been explained.”

Jack paused to think. “Azrael wouldn’t tell us if there was a problem in Nigeria.”

“Has anyone else lost a girlfriend to Torchwood situations?”

“The items were from Torchwood agents in this time line. Gender might be coincidental.”

 

A thought occurred to Ianto Jones as he fastened Michael into his car seat. It led to him wondering about a number of possibilities that weren’t good. When he climbed into the passenger seat, he hoped he was wrong.

“What if this is about you?”

Jack meet Ianto’s eyes.

“Pending Diony was Bacchus, that’s one ancient. You said Simon commented about Demeter. When Kylia went back to her universe, she connected Jack there to Lewella. Through me, you’re connected to her here.” Ianto wasn’t sure where his thoughts were going. “You’re a fixed point in time and space. The quantum entanglement devices reset the fixed points. Or multiple versions of you.” He took a moment. “How did Deselle get access to the device that turned future Aman into Azrael? The one you used just appeared in Aman’s office in Nigeria.”

“What does that accomplish?” Jack sounds like he’s considering it possible.

“You’re a fixed point in the universe. You’re immortal because that doesn’t change?”

“Yeah.”

“Would every version of you be the same fixed point?”

“I don’t know.”

Ianto shakes his head slightly. “The destruction of the original hub affected the past, present and future. Could the island implosions have done the same?”

“In theory.” Jack paused. “Simon isn’t immortal.”

“Simon is outside the normal universe. Does he age?”

“I don’t know.”

Ianto reaches for Jack’s hand. “How many people could cope with immortality?”

“Not many.”

“What are the odds that two people who can handle immortality would be the only ones to get it?” Ianto asked.

“Unlikely.”

“Tell me this is crazy.”

From Jack’s expression, he wished he could.


	6. Gwen and Rhys

**Gwen and Rhys**

**Thursday, May 27, 2021**

Gwen Cooper stood arm-and-arm with Rhys in their backyard near the corner of the building. Daylight faded. Anwen and Trefor laughed, passing a football back-and-forth. It never ceased to amaze her how close her children were despite an eight-year age difference.

“I have the weekend,” Rhys said.

Gwen leaned into Rhys, setting her head against his shoulder. “Ianto worked it out. Short of an alien invasion, I won’t be called.”

Rhys took a couple minutes to reply. “I don’t remember normal.”

“A three-day weekend in Snowdonia is normal.”

Rhys countered. “Rhiannon asked Trefor why he refused to play checkers with the other kids at daycare.”

Gwen smiled.

“He told her he always wins.” Rhys shook his head. “She played two games with him. Then asked if he played chess.”

Gwen laughed. “Easier than explaining why Jack flirts with Niall next door.”

Rhys shakes his head slightly. “What did Anwen tell him?”

“Uncle Jack is kind to our lonely neighbor.”

Rhys groaned. “Is that what we’re calling it?”

“Niall’s grandson works a lot. He needs the attention.”

Rhys had no idea what to say to that.

“If the general is any indication, Trefor is going to be just like Jack.” Gwen took her husband’s hand. “Trefor needs a solid example.”

Rhys tensed at the comparison.

 

Anwen Williams accidentally passed the ball too hard and Trefor lost his balance. He hit the grass with a thud. She hurried over to her brother. He wasn’t happy about falling but didn’t look hurt. Except for his pride.

“Sorry.” Anwen crouched down. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” Trefor reached out to push himself up and set his hand on something. He stopped and picked it up.

Anwen saw the necklace and the blood rushed from her face. She sat down unceremoniously in the grass.

“It looks like your…” Trefor trailed off as he turned and saw Anwen’s expression.

 

Gwen Cooper walked over to her kids. Trefor found something that scared Anwen. He held out the necklace as Gwen approached them. It looked exactly like the one Anwen talked John into giving her. Except this one had three rings instead of two.

Gwen crouched down and held out her hand. Trefor handed it over carefully. His empathy meant he could sense emotions, but he was too young to understand them. She could only guess at Anwen’s reaction. Asking was likely pointless.

“Is it yours?” Gwen suspected from her daughter’s reaction is wasn’t.

Anwen shook her head. She reached under her shirt and removed her necklace. It had two rings identical to ones in Gwen’s hand. After a moment, Anwen dropped them down her shirt again. It wasn’t something they normally talked about.

Gwen checked the rings’ inscriptions. John’s said “peace.” Other Keara’s said “timeless love.” The third one was in Welsh. She removed her mobile and quickly found a translation app. It didn’t take long.

“What does it say?” Anwen asked hesitantly.

“Eternally yours.” There was no point to try and avoid it. Gwen knew her daughter would find out one way or another.

Anwen groaned. “Another engagement ring.”

Gwen suspected it was a wedding ring. The raised rose design had small stones. She needed to scan it, but she thought they were diamonds.

 

Rhys Williams sat across from Gwen at the small kitchen table as she scanned the rings. At some point, his daughter’s ongoing collection of engagement rings stopped shocking him. He wondered if another future, psychotic ex would make an appearance.

“Anything?” He wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

“It’s not from this universe. Minor differences.” Gwen held it up. “Nothing unexpected. Gold and diamonds.”

Rhys hated to admit it. “It looks familiar.”

It occurred to Gwen after a moment. “Mrs Voyles.”

Rhys shook his head.

Gwen closed her eyes a moment to think. “Teleri Voyles.” She looked at Rhys.

As he thought about it, the girls might already be flirting. “We need to supervise them better.”

Gwen laughed. “She’s human, doesn’t time travel, and isn’t psychotic.”

“We know the family.” Rhys laughed at the absurdity.

 

Anwen Williams walked up to the table looking for an explanation. “Who didn’t I marry this time?” She hoped it wasn’t another time traveler.

“Time will tell.” Gwen deposited the necklace in a small containment box. “It’s not from here, and probably related to the box of items Jack collected from the attorney on Friday.”

Anwen looked less than convinced. “What’s the joke?”

Gwen sealed the box. “It’s normal. Gold, diamonds, and inscribed in Welsh.”

Anwen knew he mother wasn’t telling her something. “The first ring belonged to the version of me that changed time. The second belonged to a version that ceased to exist.”

“I don’t know.” Gwen shook her head.

 

Gwen Cooper eyed the containment box on the table. She couldn’t help but wonder if there was more to it. There weren’t a lot of reasons to wear a wedding ring on a necklace. If it had been a gift from Teleri to Anwen, it suggested her mother died. Or her father died and her mother stopped wearing it. Gwen couldn’t shake the feeling it suggested Teleri died. It was a mystery she would happily hand over to Jack in the morning before they left. She didn’t want to think about it.

A thought occurred to Gwen as she reached the bedroom. Each of the items from Friday had been from a loved ones that died because of Torchwood. If it was related, it suggested Anwen died. That wasn’t something she wanted to share. At some point, she’d have to consider the possibilities.

Until then, they were going to Snowdonia and pretending Torchwood exist for a few days.


	7. John and Ken

**John and Ken**

**Monday, May 31, 2021**

Despite multiple quick trips, Ken Phillips still marveled over the instant transportation. The teleporting ability, as John called it, came from a nightmare the day Ken walked out on John months ago. Ken wondered more than once if there was a connection.

John stepped out of the bedroom with damp hair. Ken smiled. Their relationship was the strangest he’d ever been in. And oddly, the healthiest. It took nearly drinking himself to death and inpatient therapy to realize it. The price for the happiness was the unexpected and traumatic that circled Torchwood like sharks in a horror movie.

“What?” John asked.

“You’re gorgeous.”

John laughed and headed for the kitchen. The insane self-confidence was his greatest strength and weakness.

Ken followed him. “I found a good restaurant. We can tour Edinburgh castle and eat without needing a change of clothes.”

John poured himself a mug of coffee. “Day trip?”

“Yeah.” Ken took a moment. “Are we still going to Disney World?”

“Rex is working on it. It would be best to have a passport. Which requires citizenship paperwork.”

“Didn’t Ianto establish all of that when he set-up the marriage to resolve the custody issue?”

“It’s a problem with the US. Rex needs to create a solid background from birth.” John sipped his coffee. “A mistake could result in terrorist suspicions.”

“I wouldn’t want Rex’s job.”

John smiled. “No one does. That’s why he has it.”

 

After teleporting, John Hart knew immediately there was a problem. It definitely wasn’t Edinburgh. Between the temperature and the trees, they were in the wrong hemisphere. The first time his teleporting ability malfunctioned. He hadn’t thought much about the unexplained ability.

“Where are we?” Ken asked.

John flipped open his wrist strap and scanned the area. The fact that he still wasn’t sure worried him. He checked for the nearest office. The error message said he attempted to access the Falkland Archives.

“South America.”

“Why?”

John wished he had an answer. “Check your portal device.”

Ken quickly found it in his pocket. “It’s not working.”

That made no sense. John used his wrist-strap to send a message to Global.

“What country is this?”

John turned to look at Ken. “I don’t know.”

“Your eyes are blue.”

John swore in one of the more colorful languages he knew. “Look for anything unusual. Trees, animals.”

Ken turned around, looking at the area.

John’s wrist strap beeped. Puzzled, John accepted the incoming message.

“John.” Dael sounded weak. “I have no idea if this will reach you. Something happened in Cameroon. The last thing I remember I was in the hospital.”

It made him think of the report he read about Rex’s experience in London. The Dael he knew was lost to a time change. From what little he remembered from the ambush and CN interrogation, she had something to do with it. That happened fifteen or sixteen years into an alternative future. He never asked her age but guessed she was around thirty at the time.

“Who is she?”

“A future Torchwood agent.”

Ken turned back to John. “We couldn’t have traveled through time.”

John scanned Ken for chronons. The results were inconclusive. “I don’t know.”

Ken moved closer to John.

 

John chose a spot with no obvious problems and they sat in the grass by standing stones. He’d seen Stonehenge once. It had similarities and differences. Neither explained where they were or how. Unsure of what else to do, he remotely connected to a Torchwood satellite using his wrist strap. There were various options for determining their location. Figuring out the year would be more complicated if it was an issue.

“We’re in in northern Brazil. The Solstice Archaeological Park or the Stonehenge of the Amazon.”

“Better than Columbia?” Ken was hopeful.

“Yeah. It's a tourist attraction.” What concerned John wasn’t the location but how they got there and why. The only Torchwood connection in Brazil was Aman. At least that he knew of. There had to be more to it.

“The blue eyes and the teleporting is connected to an ancient being?”

John nodded.

“Is this a message?”

It had to be. The initial dream involved an outing with the first Anwen he met that never happened. They were at a castle with gargoyles. It seemed to be about fighting his demons and losing. When Ken left, John went off the deep end until he was forced to get his act together to protect Ken.

“The question is what. Dael probably betrayed me.”

“Was she a lover?”

John looked at Ken.

“The first dream involved Anwen as an adult.”

Another similarity occurred to John. “When I attempted to use a portal device, I was drugged with CN. It resulted in an unexpected time shift.” He paused. “I reappeared in Forest Farm hallucinating monsters.” The current Anwen freed him from the Rift and tracked him from Whitchurch hospital.

“Could it be trying to talk?”

“In what way?”

“The ancient beings aren’t like us?”

John nodded.

“How do we talk to someone who speaks a language we don’t understand? Gestures or pictures.”

John didn’t have a better idea. “Say the ancient communicates with pictures. Why didn’t I have another dream?” He wondered aloud.

“You reacted badly.”

Or the ancient wanted a different effect. “The dream had me and Anwen at the ruins of a castle. We were there to investigate a Torchwood situation.”

“We were going to Edinburgh as tourists,” Ken commented.

“Our relationship is different.”

“You didn’t answer my question about Dael.”

John wondered if it could be secrets. There was a lot Ken didn’t know. “We were lovers. Casual.”

“What happened in Cameroon?”

“It was an ambush. I killed four men before they incapacitated me.” John didn’t want to remember. “I was given an interrogation drug.”

Ken hugged him. “How did you escape?”

“They underestimated me.” John wrapped an arm around Ken. “Dael knew I had a personal connection to Anwen, but not where I came from. She didn’t know I was a recovering addict.”

“Could this be connected to that?”

John realized something. “Yes. Africa, Brazil and CN.” Ronald Beaupre, Bashiri and Aman Oliviera, and the third gen biomechs that targeted the kids in Nova Scotia.

A flower, similar to the one that grew near the willow in Cardiff, sprouted next to his hand and rapidly grew.

“What does Dael have to do with any of this?” John thought aloud, watching the flower.

Blue light surrounded them. When it faded, John and Ken were in Edinburgh.

Ken exhaled sharply, relieved. “Can we take the train home?”


	8. Bree and Lacene

** Gallery Bistro; London, England **

** Wednesday, June 2, 2021 **

 

The modern art-themed restaurant has colorful tables, unusual chairs, and varied framed paintings on the wall. Metal sculptures are placed throughout. In the middle of the dining room is an indistinct piece that looks like a cross between a garden gnome and a snail.

Bree Nelson opened a cloth napkin on her lap. Her and Lacene’s time together in Cardiff was intense but focused on a Torchwood case. It made it less awkward. Faced with different circumstances, and an obvious date, she was questioning herself.

“It’s lunch,” Lacene said quietly.

Bree nodded. “I recognize a couple officers. They knew Jodi.”

“Most understand the risks, Bree.” Lacene gave it a moment. “No one blames you.”

“The looks.” Bree felt self-conscious.

“It’s not you. When an officer dies in the line-of-duty, the survivors view the widow or widower as their responsibility. No one is mad at you.” Lacene held out her hand. “They don’t trust me.”

Bree set her hand nervously on Lacene’s. “You’re one of them.”

“Few people are willing to work with me. The general consensus is I’m a predator with a badge.”

“Your background is public knowledge?”

“No.”  Lacene gently squeezed Bree’s hand. “I make people nervous.”

Bree didn’t understand that. 

Lacene smiled. “You are unique.”

 

Bree wished she could relax. Although the art was strange, the food and the company were good. It almost felt normal. Except for the guilt, she concluded. She knew it was part of the process and suspected it was partly survivor’s guilt. Jodi moved to Cardiff to be with her. There was a possibility that Jodi’s death was connected to Torchwood or to what happened to Bree’s family. 

“Any thoughts on the art?”

Bree smiled. “It represents creativity and several mental health issues.”

Lacene laughed. “Avant-garde or homicidal?”

“Low self-esteem, childhood abuse.” Bree looks at the metal sculpture in the center of the room. “Garden fetish,” she concluded with amusement.

“After a serial case three, four years ago, a gallery owner invites me to preview any new artist just in case.”

Bree lowered her voice. “I don’t consider most of this art.”

 

Allowing Lacene to buy lunch took more willpower than Bree wanted to admit. It was a struggle in the early days of her relationship with Jodi. She didn’t want to be dependent on anyone. Then ironically she found herself relying on Jodi’s strength.

Lacene led out of the bistro. “It won’t kill you.”

Bree looked at Lacene.

“Letting me pay.”

Bree groaned. “I’m transparent.”

“I have more experience with behavioral analysis than you have with hiding from a psychology professional.”

A thought occurred to Bree. “You can sense my discomfort.”

Lacene just smiled.

“That’s disconcerting.”

Lacene laughed and motioned down the sidewalk. 

They walked in silence for a few minutes before Bree spoke. “It’s an investigative tool?” 

Lacene nodded. “Psychopaths have no personal demons. Sociopaths have a few.”

“It must be hard. I can empathize with survivors of violence, but I can’t sense their pain.”

“Different skill set.” Lacene brushes Bree’s hand with hers. “I see a person crying and I have no idea how to help. But I can look into the eyes of a psychopath and see them for what they are.”

“I can’t imagine.”

“Nor can you understand how other police officers look at me and see a sociopath.”

Bree argued, “You’re not.”

“The argument can be made.”

Bree touched her hand. “You care or you couldn’t do the job.”

“Possibly.” Lacene gently accepted Bree’s hand. “What is my motivation with you? Emotion? Or what’s necessary for human interaction and contact?”

“If all you wanted was companionship, there are easier ways to get it.”

“The way you see me is unique.”

 

As they were walking back to their cars, Lacene motioned toward a store. Bree had no idea why the thrift store was suddenly interesting. Then she realized Lacene’s body language had shifted. She was tense.

“Someone is watching us?” 

Bree wondered how she’d missed it. Her mobile rang, distracting her. “Lacene.” Bree looked at her phone uneasily.

Lacene paused dialing and looked. “I know what you did?” She’s not amused. 

“What?”

“Best case scenario, it’s a crime groupie that doesn’t like the competition.”

“What’s the alternative?” Bree didn’t need an extra sense to know Lacene wasn’t telling her something.

“This is not how I wanted to tell you.” Lacene took a moment. “The investigation into Jodi’s death hit a wall. The in-house investigation may have led to her death. But the investigators needed other options.”

Bree closed her eyes. “Me.”

“Another case almost identical to your family’s was found in Scotland. Less than fifty miles from where you were living. A cold case unit there and one here are currently comparing notes. Few people know about it.”

Bree shakes her head.

Lacene set a hand on her shoulder. “It offers an alternative theory. Some type of stalker.”

A thought occurred to Bree. “It’s not in my Torchwood file.”


End file.
